


Hakuna Matata

by Frumpologist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Crack Treated Seriously, Dueling Rubber Ducks, Fire dancers, Hawaiian Luau, Humor, M/M, discovery of feelings, flatmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 06:53:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19246060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frumpologist/pseuds/Frumpologist
Summary: James and Teddy are flatmates, best mates, and nothing more. Until, of course, Granddad Weasley’s birthday luau leads James to second guess everything.





	Hakuna Matata

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrsRen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsRen/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [TheFairestOfTheRare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFairestOfTheRare/pseuds/TheFairestOfTheRare) in the [BTSS2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/BTSS2019) collection. 



> This story was written for Fairest of the Rare’s Before the Spring Snaps 2019 Fest. The fest theme was Disney and authors had to take characters, pairings, or creatures and write a story that captured the prompt. 
> 
> This fic is dedicated to MrsRen, who recently joined the Jeddy bandwagon! I wanted to make her smile and I’m hoping this cracky story gets one good laugh, too. <3 
> 
> Many many thanks to Lunamionny, MidnightChardonnay, Pureblood_Muggle, and Pronunciation_Hermy_One for all of their invaluable help, cheerleading, alpha reading, and eyes on this fic as I prattled on about it. This fic took a village. <3 
> 
> **Prompt:**
> 
> Timon & Pumbaa — The Lion King

“A grass skirt.” James stood in front of Teddy’s massive wardrobe and stared at the tacky Hawaiian-style shirts hanging off the wooden doors. “Am I to wear trousers, or do I just pull it over my pants?”

Grandad Weasley was a quirky fellow. And, though his interests lie with simple, mundane muggle machinations, the way he venerated them was — extra. Everything about Arthur Weasley was extra: his collection of plugs, the way his hair never quite laid right because he’d shoved a fork into a socket one too many times, the rubber duck he kept floating in the little lake outside The Burrow — protected by enchantments so that the gnomes didn’t run off with it again. The man was a legend and England’s best example of a man living his best life. 

Arthur Weasley deserved the very best and his family always would go to the most ridiculous lengths to humor him. So, when dad informed him of Arthur’s birthday party theme, James didn’t bat an eye. Of  _ course _ it was a luau and of  _ course _ they’d wear grass skirts.

“It’s up to you, I suppose.” Teddy shrugged. “The grass is thick enough to hide your—” He canted his head down, though his eyes remained glued to James. Big, brown eyes that darkened considerably the longer they pinned him in place. “If modesty is an issue, I mean.”

“I hardly want to be waving my bits around my entire family.” James grabbed the shirts from the wardrobe and tossed one to Teddy. “Just pants, then. Long pants. Modest pants.”

“Modest—” a light chuckle filled the room. “You can’t wear long underwear underneath a grass skirt. You’ll look ridiculous.”

“Then it’ll be no different to any other family gathering.” He ignored the exasperated look that Teddy sent in his direction and counted them off on his fingers. “Mum and dad’s anniversary, when I was convinced mum was pregnant again and cried. Dad’s promotion at work when I put together that skit of him defeating Voldemort—”

Teddy cringed. “That was  _ bad _ , not ridiculous.”

“When Lily-Luna turned five and I convinced her to cut off all her hair.”

James threw his current shirt onto the bed and pulled on the Hawaiian nightmare that Teddy bought him. He buttoned it up and continued through his extensive list of cock ups. 

“Uncle Neville’s bon voyage do — I fed what looked like alfalfa to Victoire’s niffler.” James raised a brow. “You remember?” He imitated his mum’s irrational outburst after she found out. “James Sirius Potter, we do  _ not _ under  _ any _ circumstances steal unknown herbs and feed them to innocent creatures!”

“You turned her niffler into a bat.” Teddy reminded him shortly as he stepped into his thick, green grass skirt.

“Not on purpose! And they fixed it eventually.  _ And _ , Vic might be the only person in the world who has a nocturnal niffler!” James twisted himself around in his own skirt and double checked that his normal-sized pants were, in fact, fully covered. “Oh! And the time I brought Uncle Charlie’s mooncalves out into the sunlight by tricking them into thinking it was a full moon!”

“Menace.” Teddy muttered, shaking his head. “You’ll single handedly change the life of every beast that exists.”

“Luna says that I’m—”

“Luna wears the Call Of The Fwooper around her neck and threatens your dad with its maddening song.” Teddy’s lips twitched. “Luna will be the next Dark Lord and I don’t think you should brag about any of the praise she gives you.”

“She will not. She’s perfectly lovely.” James was finally dressed and stared into the enchanted mirror that hung on the wall. He pushed thick chunks of hair away from his forehead.

“Right. Lovely. She has an erumpent horn for  _ funsies. _ ” Teddy stood at his side and changed his hair color from pale teal to a bright pink. “That’s the type of thing normal people do, James.”

“You’re insufferable sometimes, you know?” James flattened his hair back down and popped the two buttons of his shirt open. He turned to Teddy and took a deep breath. “Tell me nothing will go wrong tonight.”

There was a long beat as Teddy’s eyes danced between his. His hands curled into James’ shoulders and he smiled that perfectly Teddy smile at him. 

“Hakuna matata, mate.” Teddy lightly tapped James’ cheek with the pads of his fingers. Playful, but not altogether reassuring. 

“Yeah, yeah — no worries. Easy for you to say.” James followed Teddy to the floo and fidgeted with his outfit the entire way. “You’ve never exploded Nanny Molly’s kitchen after she left you alone with the desserts.”

“Rule Number One: never leave James Potter alone with desserts.” With a smirk, Teddy threw powder to his feet and disappeared in a burst of green flames.

 

* * *

 

The Burrow had been transformed into, what James could only describe as, Hawaii having had a baby with muggle Disney films. Papier-mâché — everywhere. Tropical flowers, pineapples, and tiki torches — everywhere. Even the gnomes were decorated in hibiscus flowers and grass skirts. How Nanny Molly managed that, James may never know.

Teddy slipped ahead of him like the deserter he was and immediately began to mingle with his family. Dad was gripping onto a pineapple shaped cup as if his life depended on it while he spoke with mum and uncle George. Everyone looked festive, brightly colored and happy. James stole a deep breath and launched himself into the crowd of Weasleys.

“I can’t believe he got you into that shirt.” Vic laughed and wrapped James in a one armed hug around the neck. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you outside of quidditch-wear.”

“Er…” James scratched the back of his neck and glanced around to the crowd heading his way. “It’s for grandad, of course I’ll wear flowers.”

“But if the press sees you—” She had a gleam in her eye that wasn’t exactly reassuring. “Well, perhaps it will put some rumors to bed.”

“Rumors?” James couldn’t stop himself. “What rumors?”

“You know, that you and Teddy—” Vic waggled her pale eyebrows and adopted a wicked smile. 

James, however, looked the exact opposite with a horrified expression. “That we  _ what _ exactly?”

Again with her tinkling laugh. “You know…”

“I really, truly don’t, Vic.” 

A sea of red engulfed them and James had to unbutton another button on his shirt to try and cool the flush that spread up his neck. He and Teddy, Teddy and him. Flatmates.  _ Just _ flatmates. His eyes scanned overtop the ginger heads that surrounded him and found Teddy with a pint in hand, a smirk on his lips as he sipped the drink. Albus and Scorpius laughed at whatever smartarse thing Teddy said.

“Potter.” 

James startled and drew his eyes away from the curve of Teddy’s jaw. He forced a grin and found Louis and Fred standing at either side of him. 

“Er, sorry — what?” It took all of his focus to keep his gaze away from Teddy. His flatmate  _ and nothing more _ .

“Uncle Harry says there’s a parade of rubber ducks later this afternoon after tea.” Fred flashed a grin and his mischievous eyes flicked around the garden. “Louis and I found the stash.”

“It’s going to be quite the parade,” Louis agreed with the same wicked twinkle in his eye. “Imagine: dueling rubber ducks!”

“You didn’t.” James swallowed hard as his eyes darted back and forth between his two cousins. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

“Oh, but we did.” Hugo, the little git, grinned at him devilishly and pulled a wand, that was most definitely not his own, out of his pocket and twirled it between his fingers. “Grandad deserves the best. Dueling rubber ducks is the best.

“You’re all savage.” James shook his head, trying like a good son and grandson to properly shame them. It fell short because, quite frankly, it was brilliant.

“Teddy taught them the spell,” Vic muttered under her breath and tried to cover her words up with a harsh, fake cough into her hand. 

Worst coverup ever. The gaggle of redheaded Weasley cousins all cheered for their pink-haired leader. James, on the other hand, found his eyes drawn back to the tall, little frame of said leader. Why couldn’t he drop this? This strange feeling that twisted itself about his spine the very second that Vic pointed out their — situation. Which, by the way, was  _ not _ a situation other than being flatmates. 

“Teddy is brilliant. It’s a simple  _ locomotor _ spell crossed between, well, don’t want to implicate you, cousin, but—” Fred’s face lit up just as his father’s always did when he managed to take something illegal and turn it legal for profit. “We’re trying to get dad to market it if it works.”

“Uncle George knows what you’ve done?” James couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Uncle George knew, probably egged them on a bit, too. “Aunt Hermione is going to murder all of you.”

“She’ll love it,” Louis protested. “Hugo managed to do one up in his dad’s auror uniform.”

“He—” James glanced between all of the plotting Weasleys and shook his head. “Know what? I don’t want to know. I’m going to… go.”

And he snuck away from them without another word. He could feel Vic’s eyes following him all the way to where Teddy stood chatting still with his dad and mum. Veela blood or not, she could be downright insufferable at times. 

“Alright, Potter?” Teddy asked him as he non-verbally summoned a pint and handed it to James. 

He wasted zero time chugging down the full pint and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “Is it hot out here to you? It’s February and it feels like the middle of a bloody desert.”

“That’ll be the warming charms Molly used.” His dad’s wry smile earned him a pinch from mum. “Oi, I know it’s all in keeping with the theme, love, but it’s bloody hot and you’ve got me wearing layers.”

“No one said you had to wear that stupid flamingo shirt, Potter.” Ginny rolled her eyes. “I told you to go shirtless, remember?”

“No one wants to see my dad bod, Gin.” 

“Strongly disagree, Auror Potter.” His mum’s eyebrows raised in a manner that James found entirely inappropriate. He choked on his second pint and spit foamy lager to the ground. Mum pounded on his back. “Oh, love, embarrassing as it is, you’d never be in this world if your father and I hadn’t—”

James threw a hand up in a desperate attempt to stop his mum from finishing her sentence. “Please, for the love of Dumbledore, don’t.”

“Found each other attractive,” she finished anyway, pointedly, and with the typical mum gleam in her eye that reminded him that she was far cleverer than anyone gave her credit for. “Anyway, you better get used to the heat. Hermione and Ron have booked a fire dance.”

“Right. Shirtless it is.” James unhooked the rest of his buttons, shrugged the shirt off his shoulders, and shrunk it with a charm before stuffing it into the band of his pants. 

“Good lad. Now, go find an attractive girl to bring home. I do want grandkids eventually, you know.” Ginny nudged his shoulder and laughed. James joined her, but his dad and Teddy were quiet. 

“Gin,” his dad said through tight molars and flicked his eyes to Teddy.

By the time James glanced to Teddy, though, he was smiling and staring at some far off point in the garden. James let his eyes linger for a moment; Teddy’s throat constricted and his lips parted and his cheeks were flushed. 

Perhaps the heat was getting to him as well.

 

* * *

Nanny Molly had the table set up like a buffet. A smorgasbord of Polynesian foods. James found himself addicted to the flavors. He’d never tried poke before, but wondered where in England he could find it for takeaway. The younger kids didn’t seem to want much to do with the native food and instead opted for the British munchies like uncultured swine. 

“Uncultured little knobheads.” Teddy popped a bit of something drowned in mango salsa in his mouth and spoke around it. “Least your brother’s given the food a shot. He still wants to be a chef?”

“Or a K9 copper in America, a cosmetologist, or a deep sea diver.” James loaded his plate with a variety of food and walked with Teddy back to the tiki-style tent that his nan had set up. “He changes his mind at least twice a week. Last month he was convinced he’d become a monk and live out his days in silence.”

Teddy laughed as he took a seat across from James and alternated between food and beer. “How’d your mum talk him out of it?”

“It was Scorpius, actually.” James twisted in his seat to draw Teddy’s eyes to the pair. “He said if Albus went off to a monastery, he’d take away Scorpius’ favorite thing in the world.”

“Al?” Teddy raised a dark eyebrow and smiled into the lip of his beer. “I’d pay a thousand galleons to have him quiet for five minutes at Sunday dinner.”

“Oh no, mate, Scorpius thinks Al is  _ insightful _ and  _ poignant. _ ” James snorted. “Thinks every bloody word out of his mouth is like a motivational speech.”

“Merlin, he’s got it bad, eh?” 

“Al rethought his entire life, though.” James shrugged his shoulders and picked at his plate. “Mum was so grateful, she actually went and thanked Malfoy properly at the Manor.”

“Your mum hates Draco.”

“Mhm. Shocked the hell out of dad.” A chair pulled out next to James and he swallowed the bit of pork in his mouth. “Grandad, been in hiding? Happy birthday!”

“‘ello, boys!” Grandad’s face was lit with the most fantastic and large grin. “Have you caught sight of the gnomes? Angry little buggers, but Molly really pulled out the stops, didn’t she, eh?” 

“It’s brilliant, grandad,” James agreed brightly, though he really sort of felt bad for the tiny gnomes facing the wrath of his nan.

“Right, well, don’t tell your nan, but I’ve gone and got a little sneaky for the party.” 

Grandad rubbed his hands together and then reached into the (obviously charmed) pocket of his seagull-covered shirt. He withdrew a glass bottle with the word Fireball written on it. Teddy and James stared at each other for a long moment, both likely thinking what a terrible idea this was and how someone — not them, of course — should tell Nanny Molly.

“Er, Arthur, perhaps…” Teddy watcher Arthur unscrew the top of the bottle and conjure three shot glasses. “Alright, just one.”

“How’d you get a muggle liquor, grandad?” James reached out for his shot and examined the amber-colored liquid. 

For all the fascination he’d always had with muggle things, he wondered why grandad would go for something that was essentially firewhisky. 

“I took a trip to the garage — that’s what Muggles call the buildings they use to fuel their automobiles — so clever, that. Anyway, I’m in the garage and was about to buy some batteries for, well, never mind  _ why—” _

They all clinked their glasses together at Arthur’s insistence and downed the whiskey in one gulp. It was harsher than firewhisky — far more cinnamon than  _ fire _ . James coughed the liquid down and Teddy slammed his glass on the table with a sharp exhale out of his nose. 

“Brilliant, Muggles, eh?” Arthur grinned between them and gestured for them to set their glasses down again. “So I’m in the garage and this muggle enters, positively pissed to high Hogwarts! And he smells of cinnamon, but sweet, and so I asked him ‘what’s that smell you’ve got?’”

“Grandad!” James snorted rather obnoxiously. “You can’t just go around asking people about how they smell.” 

“Wrong!” Arthur shoved the glasses back to them. “Son, you can ask anything of anyone. Their answers are what is out of your control.”

Typical granddad and all his wisdom. James just shook his head and joined another round — the  _ last _ round.

“Right, so, this gentleman wanted to properly fight me. Like a muggle duel.”

James’ eyes snapped to Teddy. A duel, was that — why the cousins— Teddy dipped his chin. Yes, he’d known precisely the question James was asking himself and answered it with a playful lift on his lips. Bloody hell. He reached for the third round, sobriety be damned. 

“I obviously declined, despite the muggle’s, well, he was rather foulmouthed, if I’m honest,” Grandad rambled on and on while they all held their glasses aloft. “Anyway, once he calmed down — no, don’t ask me how — the clerk behind the counter told me about this brilliant little store called Tesco and how it carries this brand of muggle liquor.”

There was nothing more to say except “cheers” as he forced their glasses together and downed the third and absolutely the last shot. 

Grandad left them alone after that. He wobbled a bit as he strolled off. His leis hung in all sorts of wonky circles around his neck, but his cheeks were rosy and eyes shined with his happiness. It was exactly as James would want to see him on his birthday. 

“Your grandad’s a riot, Potter.” Teddy moved seats so that he was shoulder to shoulder with James. “I hope you’re half as fun as he is when we’re old.”

“Expect to keep me around that long then?” James’ lips lifted, teasing, and Teddy mirrored the expression.

He leaned in and James wondered why he’d never noticed the scent of cardamom on his best mate before then. Or, that the line of his jaw was sharp as cut glass. Or, the way he tended to change his hair color but leave the roots naturally dark. Or, how the bow of his lip dipped deep giving the impression that his lips were precisely the shape of a plump heart. 

“As long as you’ll let me, Potter,” Teddy whispered just shy of his ear. 

He left James like that. Confused. Vic’s words rolled around his head. What was happening to him and between them? It’d come out of nowhere and now it was so powerful his every thought was directed toward where Teddy was and why he was and how he was. 

He wanted to blame the Fireball — but, he knew that was a lie.

 

* * *

It felt like hours between the food and mingling and watching everyone who managed a shot with grandad stumble around afterwards. It was a merry time filled with laughter and celebration. James started to feel as if, perhaps, by some random stroke of luck, everything was going to be okay. The Hakuna Matata that he and Teddy shared before arriving may have done the trick. 

That was until the festivities truly started. 

The sun began to set. Everyone gathered to one centralized location. The tent was expanded and transfigured into a stage. A pathway split the aisles of chairs that Nanny Molly set up. James squished into a seat next to Teddy and Vic.

Sometime between the shots with grandad and sunset, Teddy lost his Hawaiian shirt. The heat of the day truly set in and James was glad to have ditched his earlier in the day. But, when Teddy’s bare arm brushed against his, James bristled. 

Teddy was warm and soft and even though James was broiling under the heating charms, he didn’t dare move away from the slight touch. The cinnamon from their earlier shots wafted by his nose as Teddy leaned over slightly and whispered.

“Looks like we’ll have another wedding soon.” Teddy jutted his chin across the aisle and James followed its path. 

His cousin Rose sidled up next to Lorcan Scamander while Aunt Hermione looked on with her hand wrapped around Uncle Ron’s forearm. She whispered furiously into her husband’s ear, which turned a shocking shade of red along with his face. Leave it to Aunt Hermione to make her husband uncomfortable with the idea of their daughter falling in love. 

Rose was alright. She’d always loved Lorcan, even through her disastrous attempt to date Scorpius Malfoy. In the end, family animosity won out. As did Scorpius’ deep love of Al. 

“Is it just me, or do you think the children of Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger marrying will probably start the apocalypse?” 

James didn’t realize that he pressed closer to Teddy, not until he felt Teddy’s hand snake across the back of his chair to make room for the way James leaned in. He never noticed how well they fit, how Teddy was curves where he was edges. James didn’t bother to move away. He let it ride as his mum stood at the front of the tent and placed a  _ Sonorus _ charm on her voice. 

“Dad—” his mum was beautiful and her eyes sparkled as she searched out her father’s face in the crowd. “We have all come together today to celebrate the sticking charm that holds our family together.” The crowd cheered, the younger generation more obnoxious than their parents. “And even though you’ve been trying to get everyone pissed on muggle drink today—”

“Arthur!” Nanny Molly’s voice belted out through the crowd. 

Everyone laughed, even grandad. “Mollywobbles, my love—”

“Don’t you ‘Mollywobbles’ me, you silly man.” Everyone turned to see her smack grandad’s chest with the back of her hand but there was a cheerful, exasperated grin on her face.

“Sorry, dad.” Ginny laughed behind her hand. “We all worked hard to throw the best Hawaiian Luau party in Britain. So, sit back and enjoy!”

Drums pounded from — somewhere. James twisted in his seat to find the source of the noise, but couldn’t find any drums. A spell or the WWN, then. What came into his line of sight next, though, well, he’d never get rid of the visual as long as he lived. 

Gigantic, bright yellow rubber ducks decorated in bright Hawaiian patterns complete with flip flops on their webbed feet — how, James had no clue — waddled down the too-small aisle. The beat of the drums didn’t match the outlandish decor of the ducks and it was all very confusing.

He seemed to be the only one who thought so. Teddy’s deep chuckle surrounded him; in his ear and against his cheek and rumbling so fiercely he could feel his arms shift as his shoulders shook. The Weasley cousins were all hooting and clapping. Grandad practically bounced straight out of his seat as he watched the ducks move closer to the stage.

Before they reached the stage, though, they stopped. 

It was quiet. Drums stopped. The crowd settled down, except for Louis and Fred, who whispered furiously and not as covertly as they thought. 

“They should be bigger —  _ engorgio _ !” 

“And they’re missing the leis —  _ accio leis, wingardium leviosa — locomotor—” _

“Wicked.”

“They’re beasts, your cousins,” Teddy’s chuckling voice muttered at the lobe of his ear. 

James’ skin broke out in goosebumps. He swallowed around a dry patch in his throat. What he wouldn’t give for another sip from grandad’s bottle of Fireball. 

“Grandad!” Hugo piped up amongst the crowd and stood on his chair so all attention flew to his scrawny body. “In honor of your near-duel with the Muggles, we present—”

“Your  _ what _ ?” Nanny Molly shrieked and let her head fall into her hands. “Just an aged child, you are, Arthur Weasley.”

“Now, Mollywobbles—” Grandad pulled his glass bottle from his pocket and offered it to Nanny Molly. “Perhaps, just a tiny drink…?”

“Oh, go on then.” She gave up with a massive sigh. 

Everyone — young adults and their parents — cheered as Nanny Molly took the bottle and a very long pull from its lip.

“Now that Nan is properly soused,” Hugo called out and stretched his arms wide. “Let the Great Duck War commence!”

If James didn’t know any better, he would have wagered money that one of his cousins whispered a modified unforgivable curse at the ducks. But, it couldn’t be — no chance would they — until he heard the whisper again and again and again. 

“Bloody hell,” James murmured as the aurors in the room, his father, uncle and Teddy, watched on as if they hadn’t heard the modified  _ imperio _ . “Azkaban is going to be full of chaotic good  Potter-Weasley-Lovegoods.”

“Imagine how quiet Sunday dinners will be.” There it was again: Teddy’s deep voice just shy of his ear. He felt long, slender fingers on his bicep. Teddy encouraged him closer with the hand snaked around his shoulders. “A lot of opportunities for solitude.”

“What?” The word left James on a sharp breath. His heart seized and then stuttered wildly against his rib cage. He swallowed and felt Teddy laugh again.

It was the Fireball. That’s all. Familiarity wasn’t uncommon. They touched sometimes. As mates, as — best mates. 

But it’d never felt so intimate before. Not like this, not as sweaty and salty and  _ close _ .

James was ripped from his spiraling thoughts when the lead rubber duck squeaked. A small, nervous laugh flew through the crowd of gingers. Out of the beaks of the ducks, wands protruded and lit with soft blue light. 

Mother of Merlin. James held his breath. 

“ _ Protego _ .” It was quiet, but James still heard the spell under Teddy’s breath and felt his magic surround him. “Just in case.”

It seemed Teddy wasn’t the only one worried about a rogue spell. The shield charm was cast by several others. 

Then it started.

Lights flashed from half a dozen wands. Ducks squeaked and dropped their wands. Their shirts caught fire. They were blasted through the air. The sea of party attendees cheered and ducked and watched on in wonder. 

“How the hell can the rubber ducks duel?” James collided with Teddy’s side as a rogue googly eye flew past his cheek. 

Teddy held him closer and out of harm’s way. He didn’t even realize that he was practically on Teddy’s lap. He didn’t care. James dodged another duck part. 

“It’s brilliant!” Vic laughed as she caught hold of a flying lei. “They’ve imbibed the toy wands with simple spellwork.”

“But how do they control the—”

_ Thwap! _

A flip flop knocked James upside the head. Everyone laughed. Even James.

Teddy’s fingers skated against the moist skin of his arm. “Stop trying to figure it out and just enjoy the show.”

James decided, for once, to listen.

 

* * *

The Great Duck War ended in utter carnage. The sheer delight that it brought everyone, however, was priceless. 

It took them a short amount of time to clean up all the spare duck parts that littered the garden. Once it was tidy, the next act of the night began. James never had much of a fascination with fire, but he couldn’t draw his eyes away from the way the flames danced through the dark.

Teddy’s arm was no longer around his shoulders. Instead they sat with James’ right side pressed entirely against Teddy’s left side. Shoulder to shoulder, torso to torso, thigh to thigh. No gaps left. And James was surprised to find that it felt as natural as breathing. 

The heat increased when the fire dancers began. Trails of sweat glistened over James’ back, his neck, his arms. But he didn’t care. He was enthralled with the show. One bloke in a pale grass skirt twirled a long pole doused in flame around and around and drew patterns in the night sky with it. 

The steel drums beat in a steady, pounding rhythm and James found he felt quite at peace. His heart matched the beat and every time he felt Teddy take a breath beside him, a little piece of the world seemed to click into place. 

When had this happened? This affection for Teddy that blew far past friends and family and developed into something else entirely? It couldn’t have just been today, surely? No, James was certain he’d felt it for a long time and just… ignored it. 

Because, if they explored this — whatever it was — and it didn’t work? It could destroy the fragile world they lived in together. Flatmates, best mates, wingmen,  _ person.  _ If he ever pulled a Dark Lord move, Teddy was the person who would help him hide the bodies. If this went wrong somehow, he’d lose that comfort. 

He glanced at Teddy from the corner of his eye. 

Everyone knew he was good looking. He could pull any bloke — or girl, for that matter — without much effort at all. He was all angles and charm. Lithe where James was stocky. Classically beautiful where James was rough and rugged. His lips were full, always pink and soft-looking, whereas James’ lips were pale and chapped where he nervously bit at the corners. 

He was so lost in thought with his eyes flickering across Teddy’s face that he didn’t notice when Teddy’s attention turned to him. He startled to find those disarming brown eyes staring back at him. 

“Hello.” The corners of Teddy’s lips lifted. 

“‘Lo.” James swallowed a thick lump and let out a slow, uneasy breath.

“Want to take a wander?” 

How could he say no to Teddy’s impossibly bright eyes? James nodded his head once, sharp and certain. Teddy grabbed his hand and held tight as he led him from the rows of seats, down the aisle and through the side garden. It was private, secluded, and intimate. Just the sound of the steel drums in the distance broke the silence. 

James glanced down to where their hands met and flexed his fingers. They fit together, just as he thought. But how to make the world fit them? 

“I can hear your mind working.” There was a smile in his voice, it caressed him with adoration.

James blushed, but the darkness tempered the color on his face. “It’s just—” 

“What if it goes wrong?” Teddy asked as he dragged him over to the side of The Burrow. He pressed his back against the wooden frame and then planted himself next to him. “Yeah, I’ve wondered for a while.”

James’ face snapped to the side. Teddy’s lips lifted at the edges as his eyes watched the flame dancers from afar.

“And?” James ran a hand through his hair and tried to flatten the flyaway pieces.

Teddy’s shoulders rose and fell in one quick movement. “Hakuna Matata.”

“You can’t mean that.” James pushed off the side of the house and stood in front of Teddy. “No worries? No worries that we’d never see each other again? That I’d be forced to sit next to someone else at Sunday dinner? No worries that I’d have to find a new flat? No worries that you’re my parents’ unofficial first born and every sodding Christmas would be ruined because we can’t be in the same room with one another?”

“Stop.” Teddy interrupted his spiraling anxiety with a hand cupped against James’ cheek. “I meant that I’m not worried about those things happening.”

“How can you not be?” James scoffed. “I’m impossible.  _ You’re  _ impossible.”

Teddy laughed. His fingers curled in on James’ cheek and he stepped forward. The space between them was so scant that James felt every breath. 

“You’re the best person I know,” he said finally. His free hand found James’ waist and he took another step closer. 

James could count the freckles across his nose if the lighting was right. He stole a deep breath and held it for as long as he could stand. Cardamom tickled his nose.

“We’ve never fought so badly that it couldn’t be fixed.” Teddy smiled and James remembered their last row. He’d drank the last of the milk for the umpteenth time. “And there’s very little you could do that I couldn’t forgive.”

“But, I’m a git,” James argued and even he knew that his protests were losing steam. “I leave my clothes everywhere and I’m away with quidditch all the time and entirely too self-centered sometimes, and—”

“And yet,” Teddy cut him off again and his lips were  _ so close _ that James could feel the words before he heard them. “I’ve been in love with you all these years despite all those things.”

A  _ whoosh _ echoed somewhere in the night. It mirrored the feeling James had in his stomach as it jumped into his throat.

“You’re pissed,” James tried to reason. “Grandad’s Muggle drink fiddled with your head.”

“That’s got nothing to do with my feelings, Potter.” His eyes flicked down between the scant space that separated their lips. “If you don’t want me to kiss you and completely cock this up, tell me now.”

He didn’t say anything. Instead, James let loose all of the tension he held and blew out a steady exhale. And then he slammed his lips into Teddy’s and forced him back against the wooden frame of The Burrow. 

There wasn’t a gap to be found between their bodies. Edges pressed to curves. Fingers dug into skin and tangled into hair and James wasn’t sure where he ended and Teddy began. All he knew — knew it like he knew the precision of a dive on his broomstick — was that this was  _ right _ and this was  _ forever. _

He breathed heavily out of his nose as his tongue swept across Teddy’s. His abdominal walls clenched when fingers trailed across them, needy and pleading. He nipped at Teddy’s lip and dove straight back into the kiss like he’d been deprived of oxygen while they parted. 

The passion burned bright between them for several minutes, the build up of desire broke through the dam they’d constructed between them. But as James realized that he had Teddy, that he was his, the kiss turned slow and languid. Less about having it and more about exploring it.

When they finally pulled away from one another, Teddy winced and stretched the muscles in his back. James caught his breath and touched his fingers to the corner of his lips where it was still tingling from Teddy’s teeth sinking in.

“The fire dancers are done,” Teddy commented quietly and grabbed at James’ hand. “We should get back. My gift to your grandad is next.”

In all of this, James never did ask what Teddy had gotten Grandad. He’d had one existential crisis after another and — see, this was exactly why he feared he’d make the worst boyfriend ever. 

“I never asked—”

“Hula dancers,” Teddy said with a smile. “And a crash course in hula so that the family can join in.”

“You’ve bought the entire Weasley clan hula lessons?” James barked a laugh and tried to imagine Albus dancing the hula. He wouldn’t miss that for the world.

“One lesson,” Teddy corrected him. “So pay attention because I’m sure the lessons will come in handy for our activities later.”

He couldn’t stop the violent red flush if he’d tried. Even in the darkness of night, his face shone like an emergency signal in the dark. He choked on his own breath and stumbled after Teddy as he dragged him back toward the tent where all his family stood. 

“Could you not mention that part of your devious plan to my family?” James asked as they moved through the crowd still holding hands. 

Teddy flashed a cheeky smile and pulled him to the front of the dance floor where all the chairs had been cleared. He shrugged his shoulders as he’d done a million times that night, but James’ attention was caught in his eyes like a moth to a flame. 

“Hakuna Matata, Potter.”    
  



End file.
